Japanese

American  

[jap-uh-neez, -nees] / ˌdʒæp əˈniz, -ˈnis /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Japan, its people, or their language.

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noun

1. Often Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a person of Japanese descent.

2. the language of Japan. Japn., Japn

Japanese British  

/ ˌdʒæpəˈniːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Japan, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a descendant of one

2. the official language of Japan: the native language of approximately 100 million people: considered by some scholars to be part of the Altaic family of languages

Sensitive Note

In the past, the word Japanese has been used as a noun to describe a person or people (the store owner is a Japanese ). This usage is dated and often considered offensive today.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pro-Japanese
  adjective
• non-Japanese
  adjective
• anti-Japanese
  adjective
• quasi-Japanese
  adjective
• pseudo-Japanese
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• Japanese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

Example Sentences

She wanted to provide a place where people who share the same frustrations could express themselves, and show how many people care about respecting Japanese creators and their content.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The same logic works in reverse: travelers who want a London IP for the BBC iPlayer or a Tokyo IP for region-locked Japanese services can spin one up in seconds.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

On a recent morning, hundreds of sun-dappled wishes shimmied in the tree leaves in at least 10 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Chinese, Persian, French and Turkish among them.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

“The market is testing Japanese authorities’ resolve, with spot back at 160 just five weeks after intervention to defend the currency around late April/early May,” the director of Asia macro strategy says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Japanese soldiers enforce a strict seven p.m. curfew.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly